


We Were Just Kids Who Didn't Know What Love Was (Or What We Were Digging Ourselves Into)

by ibroughtyoumybullets



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Angst, Fluff, Growing Up, Jealousy, Kid Fic, Kid fics are adorable, M/M, Pining, the Calum/OFC is only talked about for like one little part, the cake is practically non-existent, the lashton is minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2270256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibroughtyoumybullets/pseuds/ibroughtyoumybullets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was July when a new family moved in next door to the Clifford's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Were Just Kids Who Didn't Know What Love Was (Or What We Were Digging Ourselves Into)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slaymebc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slaymebc/gifts).



> this is a cute lil one shot I wrote when I was bored last night  
> Title from Lost Boy by Real Friends  
> Dedicated to Anna because I used her as a character in this and she was the one who inspired me to write a Malum Kid Fic

Michael Clifford was 8 years old. He had a bike, a cat, and a very small acoustic guitar, and that was all that he needed.

He didn't have friends, no, but he found company in himself. He kept himself occupied and did the things he enjoyed. He didn't let a lack of people surrounding him get to his head. He was as happy as any other 8 year old.

It was July when a new family moved in next door to the Clifford's. Michael didn't think much of it, but he felt bad when he saw a kid about his age struggling to carry in boxes to the new home. He wanted to help, but found himself unable to even talk to the boy.

By the time it was late August, Michael had still not had a single conversation with his new neighbors. He liked it that way.

Michael was riding his bike more in early September, when it was starting to get warm in Australia once again. He was humming a song he had heard on the radio, one that said something about "small things" and was by a band that had something to do with the number 182. Or was it 192? Michael wasn't sure. He just knows that he likes it.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going because he was lost in the music, and he slipped on the ice that hadn't yet melted from the passing winter season. His bike skidded on the ground and Michael sat on the road with his knees scratched and bleeding and his muscles sore. Tears welled up in his eyes, but they didn't fall, because Michael didn't cry. He was 8, that's too old for Michael to cry.

"Are you okay?" A timid voice asked from behind him. Michael slowly turned around and saw the boy, his neighbor, standing in front of him.

"Yeah, I think so," Michael said quietly. Something about the boy made him nervous, but it wasn't exactly a bad type of nervous, either.

"Do you need any help? I have some band-aids in my house. I'll go get them for you!" The boy exclaimed before running into the light blue house as fast as he could. Michael smiled a little bit. He could see himself being friends with this boy.

Friends. What a weird concept.

The boy came running out of the house with a box in his hand. He pulled some band-aids out of the box and sat on the ground next to Michael. He carefully pressed the bandages onto the scrapes on Michael's knees, making sure he didn't hurt him.

"Okay, all better. You should probably go home now," the boy said.

"Thank you. What's your name?" Michael asked. He couldn't just let this kid help him without even knowing who he was.

"I'm Calum," the boy said with a wide smile that made Michael smile, too.

"Hi, Calum. I'm Michael."

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Michael Clifford was 13 years old. He had a skateboard, an electric guitar, and a best friend, and that was all that he needed.

Ever since that day five years ago when Michael scraped up his knees, him and Calum has grown closer and closer. By now they were best friends, entering the 8th grade together with high hopes.

Michael and Calum hung out everyday. They did their homework together, watched movies, listened to their favorite bands, played guitar, and talked. They never ran out of things to talk about. There was always something.

Lately, Calum's favorite thing to talk about has been girls. Michael knows that he's supposed to enjoy talking about girls, but it just doesn't seem interesting to him. They're just girls.

Calum disagrees. Calum sees them as beautiful creatures in need of praise. Michael just sees them.

"Why don't you like any girls, Michael?" Calum had asked him one day. Michael didn't know how to answer.

"None of them really interest me, I guess," Michael said with a shrug.

"But they're all so pretty! How could you not?" Calum asked. He seemed really confused. Michael was, too.

But then it hit him.

"Maybe I don't like girls," Michael said, the realization sinking in. Calum's jaw dropped just a little bit before he smiled again.

"Okay, Clifford. Talk to me about boys," Calum said and Michael gave him a huge smile. It was nice to know that Calum would always be there for him, no matter who he was.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Michael Clifford was 16 years old. He had a band and the best pizza place in Sydney on speed dial, and that was all that he needed.

When he met Luke at the age of 14, he hated him. Calum would try to talk to him, but Michael would just shoot him death glares. Calum thought Michael was being an asshole. Michael disagreed.

Eventually, Michael warmed up to Luke. Him and Calum decided to ask Luke if he wanted to form a band with them, and Luke said yes. They became 5 Seconds Of Summer, and they were the best band in the world. At least, that's what they thought.

Michael loved making music and playing music. It was a dream of his to be in a band, no matter how big or small. He loved it.

One day, during practice, he came back into Calum's room after using the restroom and his jaw dropped at what he saw. Calum and Luke were there, but with their guitars at propped up against the bed, and on the bed, they were kissing.

Michael could swear he could actually hear his heart breaking.

He ran out of the house and back to his own. He stormed into his bedroom and just thought for a while. He had never fully come to terms with the fact that he was practically in love with his best friend, Calum Hood, but this proved it more than anything. He was in love with Calum, and Calum didn't love him at all. Shit.

Michael fell asleep after he let some silent tears fall for a while.

The next day, a Saturday, Michael was already longing for Calum. He hated being anywhere but with the raven haired boy. Michael couldn't control his urges, and he walked into Calum's house within ten minutes of waking up. He was at the Hood's house so often that if he just randomly walked in, no one was surprised.

He walked up the stairs to Calum's room, and as he neared the door, he heard faint moaning sounds. He didn't want to be a creep, but fuck it, so he put his ear to the door.

"Mmm... F-fuck, M-mike," he heard through the wood.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't hard for the next few hours.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Michael Clifford was 18 years old. He had millions of people screaming his name and three best friends, and that was all that he needed.

5 Seconds Of Summer was now the new big thing. Everyone knew about them. They had millions of fans and a life unlike any other. They were living their dream.

Ashton had joined the band a few months after the Calum/Luke incident. Luke took an immediate liking to him, even though he didn't like FIFA. They were close; sometimes it seemed like they were too close to just be friends.

The band was in England right now, they just finished up playing a show at Wembley, and Michael was walking back to the hotel. He had went to a small coffee shop after the show to cool down and relax. It was nice.

Michael trudged into the hotel and went straight to the elevator. He pressed the 8th floor button and leaned against the walls of the small box. A wave of tiredness had just went through him and he wanted nothing more than a bed to sleep in and never wake up.

The elevator doors opened and Michael walked out and to the room he was sharing with Ashton, room 721. When he was at the door, he heard moaning sounds. Michael just assumed that Ashton was jacking off, and it's not like that's anything Michael hasn't seen, and Michael really wants to sleep, so he just opened the door anyway.

Ashton wasn't jacking off. Luke was giving him a blowjob.

Michael quickly exited the room and knocked on the one across the hall, Calum and Luke's room. After a minute or so, a groggy looking Calum opened the door.

"What do you want, Mike?" Calum asked in an annoyed tone.

"Ash and Luke are getting it on in my room and I would rather not have to see that," Michael said with a sigh. Calum's eyes widened a bit before he let Michael into the room. Michael went to go plop down on the unused bed that was Luke's, but Calum pulled him back. Calum dragged Michael to his own bed.

"If I'm going to provide you with a room, you at least have to provide me with cuddles," Calum said. Michael smiled and lied down, wrapping Calum up in his arms. He could get used to this.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Michael Clifford is 21 years old. He has 4 Grammys, 3 platinum records, millions of fans, he's friends with all of his childhood heroes, and he still has the three best friends in the world, but for once in his life, that isn't all that he needs.

He doesn't have Calum.

After years and years of watching him from afar and dropping subtle hints, Calum still hasn't realized how much Michael loves him.

Even though it was over 5 years ago, Michael often thinks of the time when he heard Calum moaning his name. Was it real? Did Calum actually think of him like that? Had Michael heard wrong? He wasn't sure.

Calum has a girlfriend now. Her name is Anna. She has blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes that she wears glasses over, and she's a cutie. Michael is really gay, but he can acknowledge that Anna is a cutie.

Michael really liked Anna, she treated Calum well and she brought out the best in Calum, but part of him will always know that he doesn't want Anna to be with Calum. Calum should be with him.

Michael was walking into Calum's room to ask him if he wanted to play FIFA, but he heard sniffling noises coming from Calum's bathroom. He ran over and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He banged on it, tears forming in his own eyes, and a puffy-eyed Calum eventually opened it up.

"Calum, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Michael asked in a worried tone before reaching out and pulling Calum into his arms. He slowly sat himself and Calum onto the ground and positioned Calum so he was sitting in his lap, Calum's back leaning against his chest. Michael's arms draped across Calum's waist.

"I-I bro-oke u-up with Anna," Calum choked out. Michael just held onto him tighter.

"Why did you break up with her?" Michael asked. Even though he's supposed to be a good friend and be sad for him, he was secretly overjoyed that his chances of being with Calum increased by 1%.

"I d-didn't l-love her like I w-was supposed t-to. I loved h-her like she was m-my friend. I didn't love her l-like I n-needed to," Calum said, struggling to get his words through. Michael understood what Calum was saying. He's tried to love people other than Calum. It hasn't worked yet.

"But Calum, if you broke up with her, why are you the one who's so sad?" Michael asked.

"Because now I'm all alone. Now I have no one to love me," Calum said before bursting into more tears.

"Calum, I love you, you know that," He said, gently rocking Calum back and forth to calm him down.

"B-but you'll n-never l-love m-me like I w-want you t-to love m-me," Calum said.

His heart stopped.

"But, Calum, I do. I love you more than anything else in the world. You are my sun. My whole world has revolved around you since I was 8 years old. I've loved you since I was 16, at least, that's the first time I realized it. It's been so hard to keep my love for you a secret for so long. For years and years, I just wanted to be able to reach out and kiss you whenever you did something cute, which is like 90% of the things you do, but I was never able to. It was so frustrating, but I could never stop loving you," Michael said.

Instead of a reply, he was met with Calum's lips on his own.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Michael Clifford is 28 years old. He has millions of fans, three best friends, and a gorgeous husband, and that's all that he needs.


End file.
